UNC-PRIMES
UNC PROGRAM FOR RESEARCH IN IMAGE PROCESSING AND MACHINE LEARNING FOR EMERGING SCHOLARS
UNC PRIMES ALUMNI PAGE
Meet PRIMES 2026
Madison Anderson
Hi! My name is Madison Anderson and I'm a rising junior at D.H. Conley High School. I am passionate about neuroscience and biology. In my free time, I enjoy playing softball and volunteering.
Ertugrul Findik
Ertugrul is a rising senior at Triangle Math and Science Academy interested in using CS to help solve problems in other fields.
Helena Sahli
Hello! My name is Helena, and I’m a rising junior who goes to Triangle Math and Science Academy. I love cardiology, and I have a German shepherd named Miro. I’m so excited to be participating in UNC Primes this summer!
Akshay Garapati
Hi everyone, my name is Akshay Garapati! I am a junior at Triangle Math and Science Academy. I'm passionate about biomedical science, public health and working with research. In the future, I aspire to be a pediatrician who can help change the lives of the youth.
Daniel Chu
Hi, my name is Daniel Chu, and I am a senior at Jack Britt High School. I am passionate about public health, research, and machine learning. In the future, I want to study neuroscience, which PRIMES has well equipped me for. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, swimming, and playing the piano.
Michael Xu
My name is Michael Xu, and I am a high school student from China. I am honored and excited to be part of the UNC PRIMES Summer Program. Having long been passionate about biology and chemistry throughout high school, I am eager to deepen my understanding of the tangible connections between AI, machine learning, and biological sciences—an area I have previously found challenging to fully grasp. I am also especially looking forward to learning from distinguished professors, collaborating with talented peers from diverse backgrounds, and exploring new ideas together.
Avni Reddy
Avni is a rising junior at Enloe High School. She is passionate about art, neuroscience, and computer science, spending her time analyzing algorithms and creating new projects. She is curious and is looking forward to collaborating with others at UNC Primes.
Deetya Giridaran
Hello! My name is Deetya Giridaran and I am a rising junior at NCSSM-Morganton Campus. I signed up for UNC Primes because I believe that it is a wonderful opportunity for getting increased exposure within the intersection of medicine, specifically neuroscience and machine learning, and applying it to critical conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease. I’ve always had a strong passion for science, and have previously conducted a research project on the impacts of overspecialization in youth athletics, and have received awards in Science Olympiad Competitions. Regarding machine learning, I have participated in the AIMI Research Program in the past where I gained exposure to multiple machine learning techniques. In my free time, you can usually find me at the pool, writing, or serving my community! I am looking forward to a great experience at UNC Primes!
Venkat Ramanavar
Venkat Ramanavar is a high school student from North Carolina with a strong interest in machine learning, engineering, and scientific research. He enjoys exploring how computational methods can be used to better understand the brain and solve complex real-world problems. Outside of academics, he enjoys playing basketball and fishing.
Amelia Varghese
Hi! My name is Amelia Varghese and I’m currently a student at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. I am passionate about many STEM topics such as Machine Learning and Biology and how they overlap in research. In my free time, I enjoy sketching and listening to music.
Jacob Lawson
Hi, my name is Jacob Lawson and I am currently a rising senior at Central Piedmont Early College. I am interested in majoring in Nuclear Engineering and Physics and later going to graduate school to become a Medical Physicist. Outside of school and research I like learning about topics in math, going to the gym, and I work at Chick-Fil-A.
Mansib Sacheha
Mansib is a rising senior at Green Hope High School with a strong interest in public health, health policy, and biomedical research. Inspired by his experiences in health advocacy, he is passionate about understanding how scientific research can inform policies that improve health outcomes on a broader scale. He is particularly interested in the intersection of medicine, public health, and social factors that shape health disparities. He hopes to deepen his research skills, explore meaningful scientific questions, and contribute to work that advances equitable healthcare for all.
Richard Zhu
Zelin Zhu, aka Richard, is a rising senior at Chapel Hill High School meanwhile studying at UNC at Chapel Hill. He joined UNC PRIMES to deepen his work at the intersection of machine learning and neuroscience, particularly computational approaches to cognitive disease detection. He is excited to learn more about computer vision applications on brain diseases! Outside of research, he enjoys using his technical knowledge to solve real life community problems and make the world a better place! He is very excited to meet all his peers and mentors!
Jenna Van
Hi, I'm Jenna, and I recently graduated from Lenoir County Early College High School. I'm looking forward to learning more about neuroscience this summer.
Audrey Xu
Audrey Xu is a rising sophomore at Chapel Hill High School. She is passionate about mathematics and enjoys exploring all things math related. Her curiosity about solving complex problems and discovering patterns has inspired her academic pursuits and research interests. Outside of academics, she enjoys swimming competitively, spending time with friends and family, and relaxing at the beach.
Sai Shete
I’m a high school junior interested in business, finance, and mathematics, with experience in leadership, stock research, and real‑world problem‑solving. As Junior VP of DECA, I’ve built strong communication and strategic thinking skills. I’ve interned with District C on a marketing project for Allstate and worked as an Investment Analyst at BYCIG, presenting data‑driven insights. I also teach and grade at Best Brains and am earning an Associate of Science through Wake Tech while attending Fuquay‑Varina High School.
Balakrithiga Sunikumar
I’m Balakrithiga, a junior at Triangle Math and Science Academy. I’m interested in medicine and learning more about how healthcare can make a difference in people’s lives. I’m involved in clubs like HOSA, Red Cross Club, and Medicine4Youth, where I get to help with events, leadership, and community service. Outside of school, I’ve been doing Bharatanatyam for over 10 years, I play the violin, and I enjoy swimming and going on walks.
Harnoor Kaur
Harnoor Kaur is a rising Junior from Green Level High School in Cary NC. She is passionate about neuroscience, oncology and biomedicine and how to improve healthcare for the general public through research and innovation. A musician at heart, she strives to use biology and neuroscience to solve real-world problems and contribute to the advancement of healthcare
Past Attendants
Class of 2025
Guneesha Kaur
Guneesha is a dedicated student and passionate musician with a profound interest in neuroscience, oncology, and biomedicine. She has a resilience and commitment to making a meaningful impact through research and innovation. Inspired by personal experiences and a desire to improve lives, she strives to use biology and neuroscience to solve real-world problems and contribute to the advancement of healthcare.
Class of 2025
Serena Lee
Serena is a rising senior at East Chapel Hill High School. She has always had a deep love for sciences, having organized a summer camp for elementary students and leading her school's Science Olympiad team. Last summer, she volunteered at the VA Hospital, which inspired her passion for caring for others. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine or public health, and wants to work towards a future where healthcare is accessible to all. She is particularly interested in how societal and historical factors intertwine to influence our biology. She is thrilled to participate in research and be part of the UNC PRIMES community!
Class of 2025
Akanksha Sriram
Hi! My name is Akanksha Sriram. I am a high schooler from Apex, North Carolina, who is highly passionate about neuroscience and its applications in the field of public health. UNC-PRIMES has given me an amazing opportunity to allow me to explore the topics that I love, by growing my scope of knowledge within the fields of neuroscience, machine learning, and image processing. In my free time, I also enjoy solving logic puzzles, reading, journaling, and dabbling in the vast field of AI and its ethical uses!
Class of 2025
Kanishka Soni
Kanishka is a rising senior from the STEM Early College at NC A&T with interests in biology, public health, and data science. She joined UNC PRIMES to gain experience in the computational and statistical aspects of research, complementing her current work in a wet lab setting at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She is particularly interested in how gene expression responds to environmental factors and how data science can be used to uncover meaningful biological patterns. Outside of research, Kanishka enjoys community service, tutoring, and trips to her favorite place (Costco).
Class of 2025
Kaushik Tatiraju
Hi everyone, I'm Kaushik Tatiraju! I go to Green Level High School, and in my free time, I like to play tennis and ping pong. I really enjoy reading about neuroscience and learning about different uses of Machine Learning, so the UNC PRIMES Summer Research Program was a really insightful experience for me, from which I gained knowledge and attended fabulous lectures from experts in the field. Overall, my favorite aspects of UNC PRIMES were the famous guest speakers that came in to present as well as the high commitment and dedication from the staff.
Class of 2025
Yusuf Khan
Hi, my name is Yusuf Khan. I am a senior at Research Triangle High School. I am passionate about public health, statistics and machine learning, and research. In the future, I want to become an MD or an MD-PhD. Outside of research, I enjoy serving my community, watching TV shows/movies, and trying new coffee shops!
Class of 2025
Nimret Nijjar
Nimret is a rising junior passionate about image processing and machine learning, particularly how these research methods can advance research on Alzheimer’s disease. She is interested to learn how such tools can help lead to early diagnosis and uncover the factors that lead to cognitive decline.
Class of 2025
Kathryn Thacker
Kate, is a rising senior at East Chapel Hill High school. She aspires to be a cardiovascular surgeon. She finds cellular biology, and physiological integration interesting.
Class of 2025
Latika Sazzala
Hi, I’m Latika Sazzala, and I am currently a high school student. I’m passionate about biomedical science, public health, and using research to make a positive impact. UNC PRIMES was an incredible program that deepened my curiosity, connected me with inspiring mentors, and strengthened my drive to pursue a future in science and medicine! :)
Class of 2025
Praneel Sista
Rising Sophomore dedicated to understanding Computational Biology and Medical Imaging
Class of 2025
Brianna Hu
Hello! I am Brianna Hu, a rising junior at East Chapel Hill High School. I am passionate about STEM subjects, with PLTW's Biomedical pathway among one of my favorite classes. I have represented my school in Science Olympiad competitions since 7th grade and won many awards at both Regional and State levels. Learning new subjects for different events is one of the highlights of every year. I also like to spend my free time drawing, dancing, playing the piano, reading, and writing.
I have always been fascinated by how things work, extending to the complex biomolecular processes that govern our bodies and the world around us. I joined UNC Primes to learn about how technology can be used in medical research, especially in Alzheimer's; it has been a great first step into the fields of research, neuroscience, data analysis, and machine learning, providing a solid foundation of necessary skills while encouraging the usage of these skills in solving real-world problems. I hope that one day I can make important contributions to biomedical research using the knowledge that I will continue to expand on through the future.
Class of 2025
Hannah Xu
Hannah is a student at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Her interest in neuroscience was sparked by her curiosity in the gut-brain axis and its implications, which she continues to explore in her research. She is passionate about neuroscience and public health, which she plans to pursue in the future. In her free time, she can be found on the soccer field, hanging out with her guinea pig, or building LEGO creations.
Class of 2025
Aniket Mathur
Hi, I'm Aniket! I'm a student passionate about research and medicine. While I'm open to exploring all fields, my favorite areas of study are Alzheimer’s and cancer. I enjoy combining biochemistry with technologies like AI and machine learning in my research. As a home chemist, I love experimenting; necessity is the driver of innovation. I'm always eager to learn something new and open to any opportunity that helps me grow.
Class of 2025
Lotus Qu
Lotus is a rising junior at East Chapel Hill who was initially interested in how the brain is able to process visual data and how an algorithm could be created to "see" the way the brain does. Through her time at UNC-PRIMES, she learned about the research process, gained hands-on experience with AI/ML, formed an growing interest in the exploration of Alzheimer's Disease, and forged valuable friendships. In her free time she enjoys browsing book and movie reviews and adding entries to her for-later collections (and sometimes checking them off).
Class of 2025
Farah Abdalla
Farah is a hard working and dedicated student attending Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies. She is interested in Biochemistry and Neurology. After finishing highschool, she plans to go on a pre-med track in college to eventually become a Neurosurgeon. Outside of school, Farah enjoys hanging with friends, Volunteering with local non-profits, doing robotics, and bing watching TV shows. She is super happy to be able to participate in this program and hope to get meaningful skills out of it.
HIGHLIGHTS UNC PRIMES 2025
